And THAT'S why I asked, haha... This should be all I need to do. It's at 100 right now, so that explains why it seems so dim. I was thinking: "this is 1000 mA? No way!" Makes sense now: it WASN'T! Thanks for saving me again!

I may try sink's code, but that may wait until winter break.

LOL It's been a while since I used that code, so naturally I had forgotten to mention that " you may want to turn up this variable a bit". Your comment about the " seemingly dim leds" jogged my memory though, Haha!

Ha, no problem I thought there was something I didn't know going on. I swapped in sink's code, and combined my two WW strings and CW strings so that they can run through the same 2 PWMs. Now I have what I needed: too much light, haha! So, I'm using the analog control to dim the CW as much as possible, and I'll be tinkering with light levels over the next few weeks. I also set up the CW to run as moonlights at night - that's kind of neat: the color is much more agreeable than the royal blues I was using before. I'm just hoping that it doesn't cause too much algae trouble, I'll keep it low and see how it goes.

Now, to see how I can use this bad boy to control my CO2 - I'm SO sick of my mechanical timers getting jammed. Do you know of anyone who has a code/setup for this?

Now, to see how I can use this bad boy to control my CO2 - I'm SO sick of my mechanical timers getting jammed. Do you know of anyone who has a code/setup for this?

If all you need to do is activate a solenoid- That's easy. Just use a relay that accepts a 5V control signal. You can then switch the power to your solenoid "on/off" with the addition of a little extra code added to your lighting program. Here's some reading material for you- Controllable Power Outlet - SparkFun Electronics

I've decided to "go back to the drawing board" in an effort to create something new. This little project will be aimed at providing a "one stop solution" for DIY Led lighting that electronics/programming novices can tackle with relative ease. Think- "a DIM4 on steroids" LOL.
I've essentially married the "Typhon" Led controller directly to two different types of led drivers. The controller PCB will mount directly on top of the driver PCB and keep all the "guts" of the led lighting system in one small, tidy arrangement. No programming experience will be needed to make this project work, as it will only need to be programmed once and any further tweaks will be made using the buttons and the LCD interface.

First up is the Controller- It's my version of the "Typhon controller" with 4 channels of lighting control. Each channel can be independently programmed for Start time, end time, Max & Min intensity, ect.. I also include two analog inputs for temp sensing/ PAR measurement, whatever is desired.

Next is the first of two styles of led drivers. The first will contain 4 of the band new Meanwell LDD-H drivers. These drivers can be purchased for less than $10 each and are available with different maximum current ratings up to 1000ma each. They can operate in excess of 48 volts, so long strings of 12 -15 leds are possible. Each of the 4 drivers will take it's dimming signals directly from the controller mounted on top.

The next driver is Based on the National Semi-Conductor LN3409. I designed these drivers to utilize components that will allow them to run led loads up to 60 volts/ 3,000 ma. This design will allow the newer Cree XM-L leds to be run at their Max. Each driver's maximum current output can be custom tailored using the on board trim pot. Since each PCB can only hold 2 LM3409's. The driver PCB will be split to create 2 driver sub boards that will mount under the controller. I include selectable jumpers in the design to allow each driver to be addressable by the controller.

That's it for now- the PCB's needed for this project arrive tomorrow. I'll post some pictures of the finished product after it's put together.

Nice. I'll be following. Hope to work this into a planned full-spectrum build for my 200 gallon! I won't need the controller, but the LM3409 would be great for either XM-L or 100W chinese chip array build.

Quote:

Originally Posted by O2surplus

I've decided to "go back to the drawing board" in an effort to create something new. This little project will be aimed at providing a "one stop solution" for DIY Led lighting that electronics/programming novices can tackle with relative ease. Think- "a DIM4 on steroids" LOL.

The next driver is Based on the National Semi-Conductor LN3409. I designed these drivers to utilize components that will allow them to run led loads up to 60 volts/ 3,000 ma. This design will allow the newer Cree XM-L leds to be run at their Max. Each driver's maximum current output can be custom tailored using the on board trim pot. Since each PCB can only hold 2 LM3409's. The driver PCB will be split to create 2 driver sub boards that will mount under the controller. I include selectable jumpers in the design to allow each driver to be addressable by the controller.

That's it for now- the PCB's needed for this project arrive tomorrow. I'll post some pictures of the finished product after it's put together.

Nice. I'll be following. Hope to work this into a planned full-spectrum build for my 200 gallon! I won't need the controller, but the LM3409 would be great for either XM-L or 100W chinese chip array build.

Thanks Cheesehead!

Let me know if you want any PCB build files for the LM3409. I've been playing around with a few different designs lately and found that they're a lot more flexible with their input voltages/ output voltages, than I'd previously thought. I'd built most of mine to drive 50 watt BridgeLux multi-emitter arrays that have a Vf of 24.4v and need 2,000 ma, but I've found that the same drivers will also drive much higher voltages and lower currents too.

How much does it cost to make something like this to control full spectrum lighting. Looking at making one for my bio cube (reef w/ led retro fit coming soon)

By rough estimate - A controller with 4 MeanWell LDD drivers = $100. The Lm3409 drivers would drive the price up another $30.

I'm in the process of building the first one right now. When I'm done testing it and make any needed changes, I'll post the revised build files along with the Bill of Materials ( with links for purchasing) and the Software.

ok been too busy with other projects to mess with the coding and get it working. is there a way that i could download someone elses dimming and timing code to get it up and working. all im looking for is a 1 to2 hour ramp up and down with a 12 hour on/off cycle for all 6 channels. and i will definately be interested in the new build you are putting together. thanks again in advance, steve

ok been too busy with other projects to mess with the coding and get it working. is there a way that i could download someone elses dimming and timing code to get it up and working. all im looking for is a 1 to2 hour ramp up and down with a 12 hour on/off cycle for all 6 channels. and i will definately be interested in the new build you are putting together. thanks again in advance, steve

Here's some code that will get you up and running. Just adjust the variables to your liking and let-her-rip.

ok now to sound really dumb, how do i get this into the ardino. do i type it in or can i import it?

Copy&Paste my friend!

Highlight all code that I posted, Right Click "COPY" and then Paste it into the Arduino IDE.
Click the button that says VERIFY to make sure that it compiles properly, and then either "Save" the Sketch or "Upload" it to the Arduino.

I just noticed something in the code, for those that had a hard time with the code.

This is a release note from the arduino app last year.

Quote:

* The WProgram.h file, which provides declarations for the Arduino API,
has been renamed to Arduino.h. To create a library that will work in
both Arduino 0022 and Arduino 1.0, you can use an #ifdef that checks
for the ARDUINO constant, which was 22 and is now 100. For example:

Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the The Planted Tank Forum forums, you must first register.
Please enter your desired user name, your email address and other required details in the form below.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

Location

Your Location. As precise as you feel comfortable with.

Security Question

While balancing on a piece of wood, two inches by four inches known as a 2x4, John and his friend Sally both spotted a dalmatian inside of a truck with sirens. The animal with John and Sally is a _ _ _?

Insurance

Please select your insurance company (Optional)

Log-in

User Name

Remember Me?

Password

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.